1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timepiece such as portable watches having a movement disposed in a case via an inner frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although a movement of a timepiece generally is integrated in a case generally via an inner frame, various problems may be induced when the movement rattles.
From such circumstances, a timepiece configured to prevent rattling of the movement to enhance an anti-shock property by securing a metallic fixing strip having a tongue-shaped rigid body portion and a leaf spring shaped resilient body portion with a screw to the movement, accommodating a distal end portion of the resilient body portion of the fixing strip in a depression formed on an inner surface of the case in a state of the distal end portion having an initial deflection by being in press-contact with a flat-shaped receiving surface of the depression and also by accommodating a distal end portion of the rigid body portion of the fixing strip in the depression in a state of the distal end portion being apart from the receiving surface is known as a technology of the related art (for example, see JP-A-2000-162332 (Patent Document 1)).
A timepiece according to the related art is capable of preventing the movement from rattling and withstanding a considerable impact because the resilient body portion is resiliently deformed firstly to alleviate an impact force caused by an impact applied thereto in the event of falling or the like and then the impact is received with the rigid body portion in contact with the receiving surface of the depression.
However, although the technology described in Patent Document 1 is effective for preventing the movement from rattling in the direction of thickness of the timepiece, but is not very effective for preventing the movement from rattling in the radial direction of the timepiece in the event of falling of the timepiece. In addition, even though the distal end portion of the resilient body portion is resiliently in press contact with the depression, the spring property of the leaf spring shaped resilient body portion is deteriorated due to repeated use over the years and, in this case, the movement tends to rattle in the radial direction of the timepiece.
When such rattling is present, the impact on the movement becomes excessive, and hence the probability of damage of the movement is increased. In particular, in a case where the movement is a mechanical type and the inner frame which supports the movement is formed of a metal, the total weight of components which may rattle is increased and the impact force applied in the event of falling of the timepiece is also increased correspondingly, and hence the probability of damage of the movement is further improved.
Incidentally, the rattling of the movement in the radial direction does not occur with a configuration in which a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the inner frame which supports the movement and an inner peripheral surface of the case is eliminated by bringing these inner and outer peripheries are brought into tight contact with each other. However, in this configuration, assembly of the inner frame into the case becomes difficult as well as disassembly thereof becomes impossible, so that formation of a fitting gap between the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame and the inner peripheral surface of the case is actually inevitable. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent the movement from rattling in the radial direction caused by the gap and enhance the anti-shock property of the movement.